Transporting truck for floor type kerf-cutting machines



HINE

E. J. DOBERSTEIN Oct. 20, 11942.

TRANSPORTING TRUCK FOR FLOOR TYPE KERF-CUTTING MAC Filed June 18, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Edwang 4 o y a M g J l y 5 by w w 3 A F i D J s 6 6 m5 6 0 UT l l l uu a .wm

2% Y. o WW 3 fi A TRANSPORTING TRU CK FOR FLOOR TYPE KERF-CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet s 16 6 111111111146 L3 H25 IIIIT'ZII I I :2 6a 79 ATTORNEV' Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE TRANSPORTING TRUCK FOR FLOOR TYPE KEEP-CUTTING MACHINES Edward J. Doberstein, Blue Island,

to Goodman Manufacturing Company,

111., assignor Chicago,

4 Claims.

. and unloading operations are not only laborious and time consuming under the limited space conditions usual in a mine, but require considerable floor space for maneuvering the machine relative to the truck. Moreover, considerable'head room is required for the truck and mining machine, particularly since the mining machine must be tilted while it is being loaded and unloaded.

Among the objects of the invention is to provided a novel form of truck so constructed as to straddle the mining machine and hoist the latter directly into suspended position above the mine floor, so that the loading and unloading of the mining machine requires much less floor space and head room than with truck of the platform type.

As a further object, I provide grappling means on the machine adapted to be operatively connectible to the flexible feeding cable on the mining machine so that the latter machine can be hoisted directly from the ground under its own power.

I also provide a detachable power connection from the mining machine motor that is operable to propel the truck by power from said mining machine motor when the machine is elevated into transporting position on the truck.

The invention may best be understood by reierence to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a truck constructed in accordance with my invention, with parts broken away to show certain details of. construction, and showing a kerf-cutting machine secured in suspended transporting position below the main body of th truck;

Figure 2 is a side view of the truck with its mining machine, but showing said machine on the ground ready to be hoisted into transporting position beneath the truck body;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the truck,

vwith its mining machine on the ground ready to be hoisted into transporting position, as illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear view of the truck with its mining machine shown in the same position as in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the rear end of the truck, showing the mining machine elevated into transporting position, and with the rear driving wheels ofthe truck coupled to the driving motor of the mining machine;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section taken generally along the rear axle of the truck and looking forwardly of the latter, showing the mining machine elevated into transporting position;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view in transverse section showing details of the arrangement of the elevating pulley and sheaves for the front or cutter bar end of the mining machine; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 1, showing one of the stabilizing blocks for securing the mining machin body against lateral displacement when it is in transporting position. 1

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a truck indicated generally at ID has a main frame H supported on rear driving wheels l2, l2 and front steering wheels l3, [3, preferably provided with pneumatic tires. The main frame is made up of side bars I4, l4 and front and rear end sills l5, l6 suitably formed of structural steel members welded or otherwise secured together. Herein the frame members are cross-connected by two longitudinally disposed, laterally spaced, channel members I1, I! and two pairs of transverse braces l3, l8 and I9, I9, disposed above and below said longitudinal channel members, and having said channel members securedthereto, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. At the rear end of the main frame, an axle housing 20 is supported at opposite ends in upright pedestals 2!, 2i connected to the side bars l4; l4, and also supported by a web 22 depending from the rear sill It, as shown in Figure 6. The axle housing 20 carries a diiferential drive mechanism 23 for the two rear axles 2d, 24 on which thedrive wheels l2, I2 are mounted. This differential drive mechanism may be of any well known form of gearing commonly employed in automotive structures, enclosed in differential housing 26 and driven from a worm Zl, rotatably mounted at the top of the latter housing. In the form shown,

said worm has a squared shaft 28 extending therethrough and slidably mounted therein to form part of a detachable coupling device for driving therear truck wheels from the mining machine motor, as will detail.

The steering mechanism is generally similar to that used on automotive vehicles. As herein shown, the front steering wheels I 3, 13 are rotatably mounted on L-shaped stub axle members 30, 30, having their upper ends pivotally connected at opposite ends of the front sill member [.6 by upright pivot pins 3|, 3|. The axl members 30, 30 are arranged for simultaneous steering by a tie rod 32 connected at opposite ends to arms 33, 33 projecting forwardly from said axle members. A C-shaped steering lever 34, is also carried by one of said axle members, with its free end connected by link 35 .toa-lever 36 on a cross shaft 31, having suitable bearing on the adjacent side bar M, as shown in Figures 1 and '2. The cross shaft 31 has a suitable worm gear :drive of the usual kind in casing 38, driven .by ashaft 39 which extends rearwardly along the side of the machine and is provided with a hand 'wheel 4|], for steering the vehicle in the usual Jmanner. Referring now to the novel means for elevating and lowering the mining machine relative to the truck, I provide a plurality ;of flexible hoist connections indicated at 4|, 42 and 43, adapted for detachable engagement with the mining machine, herein indicated generally at A. Said mining machine is of the well known :room and pillar type, having a cutter bar 45 projecting at one end, and a main frame 46 including a driving motor 41 adapted to drive a cutter chain 48 about said-cutter bar, and also to drive one or more feed drums 49, each having a flexible feedpresently be described in ing cable 50 Wound thereon. The flexible feeding cables constitute the draft means for dragging the machine along the mine floor while cutting, and while maneuvering into and out of cutting position, in a well known manner.

The detachable hoist connections 4|, 42 herein consist of a pair of hooks 5| adapted to engage eyes 52, 52 suitably secured to the rear corners of the mining machine frame 46 (see Figures 2 and 4). Said hooks are connected to the ends of a flexible hoist member 53, herein consisting of a continuous length of cable trained upwardly over a pair of pulleys 54, 54, mounted on bearing supports '55, .55 projecting angularly from the transverse braces I 9, l9. From said pulleys, the cable '53 is trained forwardly about a pulley 51 in a block 58, which is connected tothe rear end of another hoist member on cable 58a,

forming part of the third hoist connection 43, for the front end of the mining machine.

The hoist cable 58a is trained forwardly over 7 two pulleys 59, 60, rotatable about horizontal transverse axes and spaced from each other centrally of the main frame ll, herein being rotatably mounted on bearings 59a, 60a, respectively, carried by the longitudinally disposed channel members l1, 11, which extend the-length of said main frame. From the approximate sides of the pulleys 59 and 60, the cable 580: is looped downwardly under a pulley 62 On block 63, as clearly shown in Figure 2. .From the pulley 60, said cable extends forwardly and is passed around pulley .64 disposed on an upright axle at the front of the main frame (see Figure '1), and thence laterally about pulley 65 and .rearwardly along one side of the frame in a downwardly inclined direction, as seen in Figure 1. The free end, of the hoist cable 58a has a suitable connecting member, such as a hook 66, adapted for detachable engagement with an eye 61 on the center of said cutter bar. By turning the hook into the transverse position shown, the front.

end of the mining machine is temporarily secured for hoisting by the cable 58a.

The operation of the truck, with its hoisting mechanism just described, may now be explained as follows:

After the mining machine has completed its cutting operation and it is desired to transport it to another working place, the truck is pro pelled by hand over the mining machine, as the latter rests on the ground in the usual manner, with the main body of the mining machine disposed beneath the rear end vof the truck, substantially as. shown in Figure 2. The hooks 5|, 5| on the ends of the hoist cable 53 are then :engaged in eyes '52, 52 at the rear end of the mining machine, and the hook 68 of pulley block 63 is engaged in the slot 69 of the :cutter bar near the front of the mining machine. The eye 61 of feed cable 50 is then drawn forwardly from the adjacent feed drum 49 of the mining machine, and engaged by hook 66 on the free end of hoist cable 58a. The feed drum 49 is then rotated through the usual gearing .feed .by the mining machine motor, in a direction to wind the cable 50 thereon, details of which feed gearing need not be shown herein as they may be of any well known construction. Winding in of the cable 50 will cause the mining machine to be elevated bodily by the hoisting cables 53 and 58a which operate simultaneously on the machine at a plurality of spaced points. Said cables are free running relative to each other to permit the machine body to level itself automatically in the fully elevated positionshown in Figures 5 and 6, wherein the mining machine is entirely supported by the truck with sufficient clearance above the ground to permit transportation by means of the truck wheels alone. The mining machine can be held in its transporting position by setting the friction brake 49a with which the drum 49 is usually provided.

The means for guiding the mining machine into transportation position and holding it against lateral displacement consists of an abutment 70 projecting forwardly from the differential housing 26, to be engaged by the rear end of the mining machine frame (see Figure 5) and a pair of lugs 1|, 1| depending from the transverse braces l8, to be engaged by the front end of the mining machine frame, when said mining machine is elevated into transporting position. The front face of the rear abutment 10 is inclined rearwardly and downwardly from the upper end thereof, and the rear faces of the lugs 1|, 1| are :inclined forwardly from an upper portion thereof, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, to assist in guiding the machine body into elevated position and to secure the machine body against undue endwise movement relative to the truck when in an elevated position.

The lateral position of the mining machine on said truck is controlled by a pair of -L-shaped rocker members 12, 12, mounted on longitudinally extending pivot pins 13, 13, disposed at opposite sides of the truck frame intermediate the ends thereof, as shown in Figures 1, .2 and 8. Said rocker members each comprise a generally horizontal arm 14 and a depending arm 15, mounted for limited swinging movement about the pin 13, so that the upright arm 15 is normally swung outwardly by gravity, as shown in full lines in Figure 8. The arrangement is such that when the adjacent upper corner of the mining machine frame 46 is raised into elevated position, it moves in between the opposed upright arms 15, and engages the arms 14, so as to rock the members 12 upwardly, thereby bringing the upright arms 15, 15 into close fitting engagement with opposite sides of the mining machine body 46, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8.

The detachable power connections for the coupling member 28 in the differential housing 2%, whereby the truck is propelled by power of the mining machine motor, comprise a power shaft 18 disposed longitudinally of the mining machine frame, and having a socket member 19 at its rear end, adapted to register with the coupling member 28 of the truck when the mining machine is in elevated transporting position, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The power shaft 1'8 is driven by the mining machine motor through suitable gearing, herein consisting of an armature pinion B!) and gear Bl (see Figure The coupling shaft 28 is slidable longitudinally, as previously described, so that it can be pulled rearwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, to permit the mining machine to be elevated into transporting position. The shaft 28 is then slid forwardly so that its flattened head 28a engages in the socket member 19 on the mining machine power shaft 18, to couple the mining machine motor in driving relation with the truck wheels. The coupler shaft 28 may be locked in coupled position by a bar 82 detachably connected at opposite ends to the rear end of the differential housing by removable pins 83, 83.

With the truck hereinabove described, it will now be understood that the mining machine can be readily lifted from the mine floor and transported from place to place in a mine, with a minimum of time and effort. The truck can be steered along the entries and about the mine thereby, especially adapting itself to mining systems wherein no mine tracks are employed. The

truck itself is extremely simple and economical in construction, and utilizes power from the mining machine motor for elevating and lowering the mining machine, and for propelling the latter, thereby requiring no motive power of its 0WD.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A transporting truck for a floor type motordriven mining machine, comprising a wheeled frame having elevating means for suspending said machine in transporting position beneath said frame, and wheel propulsion means detachably engageable with the motor on said machine to be driven thereby when said machine is in transporting position.

2. A transporting truck for a floor type motordriven, draft-operated mining machine, comprising a truck having a frame, driving and steering wheels, and steering mechanism for said steering wheels, said frame being adapted to be moved over said mining machine and having means detachably connectible with the draft means on said machine for directly elevating said machine and suspending the latter in transporting position above the mine floor.

3. In combination with a mining machine of the floor type normally supported on the mine floor and having power-operated flexible feeding means, a transporting truck including a wheeled frame movable over said mining machine while the latter is resting on the mine floor, and having lifting means detachably connectible with the flexible feeding means on said mining machine for suspending said mining machine in transporting position between the truck wheels and above the mine floor.

4. In combination with a mining machine of the floor type normally supported on the mine floor and having power-operated flexible feeding means, a transporting truck including a wheeled frame movable over said mining machine while the latter is resting on the mine floor, and having lifting means including a flexible cable extending along and leading from the longitudinal center of said truck to one side of said mining machine and being detachably connectible with the flexible feeding means on said mining machine for suspending said mining machine in transporting position between the truck wheels and above the mine floor.

EDWARD J. DOBERSTEIN. 

